


All In Seconds

by SlightlyManicMonday



Series: Pidge-Centric Stories [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (but it's not what you think), Everybody Hurts, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Pidge | Katie Holt, Hurt Shiro (Voltron), I Don't Even Know, I can't read minds, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Or maybe it is, Pidge | Katie Holt Needs a Hug, Pidge | Katie Holt is a Mess, Pidge | Katie Holt-centric, Shidge everybody, Shiro (Voltron) Needs a Hug, The red lion is just overprotective, There are hints of klance?, This is also on ff.net, captured fic, just give all of them hugs, ok, ok?!, sorry idk how to tag, yes i'm not ashamed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 17:19:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15078008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlightlyManicMonday/pseuds/SlightlyManicMonday
Summary: A mission goes sideways while the team attempts to gather information on Pidge's missing brother, Matt. When some of the Paladins end up in the hands of the Galra, who is there to defend the universe?No specific pairings, just friendship through hard times.Mentions of blood, tourture, and some heavy material.-----This is an export from my account of FF.NET.





	1. The Beggining

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! 
> 
> So been figuring out AO3 more and learning how to navigate this place better as a creator, and I figured i'd share a work I did over of FF.NET!
> 
> To clarify: This is set in season 2 before they do musical lions and everybody decided that color coding is no longer important, but I mean who I am to judge, I mean yes it annoys me but-  
> ANYWAYS  
> Please enjoy! The last chapter has yet to be written so this isn't quite completed ;)

_**Pidge's POV** _

It's the  _way_  things happen. How fast celebration turns to panic. The way the human body can only take  _so_  much strain after hours of fighting. My calves pinch under my weight, my forearms burn from extending and un-extending my lion's clutch handles. Small beads of sweat decorate the visor of my helmet.

"I'm under heavy fire", Hunk's voice cuts through the comms unit, his voice also heavily strained from battle.

"I'll cover you while you take out that cruiser's ion canon", Lance replies as he pilots his lion to Hunk's aid.

Shiro's voice cuts through the thick of the chaos, laden with heavy breathing, "You guys, more fighters just entered the atmosphere…" an award pause pulls tension in the comm line. "I think we need to cut back to the castle, re-group, do something other than loose this battle."

Responds cut through the line, all but mine. I wasn't about to give up when we were so close to my family, to Matt, to my father… "I'm not retreating", I pause swallowing the lump in my throat. "I cant leave without getting that intel from that cruiser", my voice strained, as I move to take out three more Galra fighters.

"Pidge, you cant do that. You'll get captured, maybe worse. I know it's hard, but you have to consider the bigger picture here…" Shiro's comment burns like battery acid to the skin.

He was right, actually more than right, but I wasn't about to give up any opportunity to gather any intel on my families whereabouts. I know he can't see my head shake, but he already knows it's there.

"I'm sorry Shiro, but I'm not leaving without anything", he already knows this but it's worth filling in the rest of the team.

"Pidge, you can't!" I hear hunk yell as he slams his lion into yet another Galra cruiser.

Shiro, as if reading my mind, cuts in, "Hunk, Lance, Keith head back to the castle with Allura and provide cover from there. Pidge and I will eject from our lions and pilot aboard one of the cruisers. We will signal for extraction when needed", and odd pause cuts the chaos with worry.

"Are you sure about this?" Keith responds, his lion streaking red through the purple skies of Prion.

"Just wait for our signal-"

"Will do" he assures, piloting his lion to the castle bay, Hunk and Lance close behind his tail.

"Pidge you ready?" Shiro's voice commands respect, but here and now… He sounds more concerned that authoritative.

"I was born ready", a smile creases my face. It was, at best, a self fulfilling grin just to reassure myself I was going to get through this.

_No. Regrets._

Before I knew it, everything was purple. The tint on my suit reflected colors of the alien sky, once green but now a lilac color. The wind screamed as if scraped across my lithe body. I had an odd urge to shiver, but I stayed focused on the mission.

Comms are cutting in and out, static fills the other side of the line. I can  _see_ Shiro but we can't talk. I'm guessing it the atmospheric pressure change, my ears needed to adjust to the altitude change as well.

I shrug it off.

_Must stay focused Pidge. Come on, you're a paladin of Voltron. This should be easy, right?_

I want to scream, but I know I can't- also theres no point. Shiro's hand goes straight, grabbing my forearm. His fingers are counting down. Five, four three-

_Oh shit what is he doing?! Do I need to do something?!_

It occurs to me that he is about to activate his jet pack. We were roughly 30 feet from the ship so this makes sense, but I'm still prone to doubting myself.

My small finger hovers over the button, ready for Shiro to reach one on his countdown. I nod- to him- letting him know I was ready. I can tell he notices, as his finger is placed lightly over the 'jet-pack ignition' button.

It was fast, which was good for my small body. Eyes pressed firmly together, hand gripped tightly to Shiro's suit, as he ignites his jet pack. The sudden movement change forces my heart right into my stomach, a solid led pit tearing at the walls.

My jet pack was soon ignited seconds later, pulling our bodies at high speeds towards the Galra cruiser. My heart pounding it my throat, hand gripped to Shiro's like an iron clamp.

We both hit the ship with a dull thud, knocking the air from my lungs. The world spins, purple blurring my vision. My hand still tightly gripped to Shiro's hand, he pulls me close. Sparks fly with the stars wind, as he cuts cleanly through the ship with his metal arm.

It's cold inside the cruiser, but it's better than  _outside_ the cruiser, and I'm thankful for that. I can hear Shiro's labored breathing, as I'm trying to catch my own breath from hitting the ship.

"You good?" He asks, setting a hand on my shoulder as I keel over.

It's hard to speak, but I nod my head. "Let's get this over with."

We crouch through corridors, all empty, each echoing the pang of alarms blaring overhead, and all resonating with the eerie vibe that the Galra seem to carry with them  _everywhere._ I motion to a small control panel, Shiro nods, staying silent to keep us safe.

Fingers fly over Galra tech. I had learned some of their language- it was quite similar to the Altean language. Not all of it runs through my filter, but I'm able to download a small byte of information- all I really needed. We make haste, erasing our trace as we back track.

It takes me off guard, but we round a corner to find a once empty corridor filled with centuryes marching our very direction. It was to late to run, they had already started to open fire.

_Shit._

"Shiro, get out of the way", I pull him back against a small column protecting us from the blaster fire.

"There's only one way off this ship, and thats past that army of centuries", Shiro sounds determined, but I can hear the slight shake to his vibrato.

Before he can protest against it, I'm running through the blaster fire, dodging flying streaks of purple. I can't help but feel sorry for myself, but this was the way things happened while fighting the Galra. I only hoped I would live through this to track Matt down…

* * *


	2. Hard Impacts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter burst (and to clarify really fast) the last 2 chapters have yet to be written so THIS AIN'T OVER YET...

_**Pidge's POV** _

My heart throbs through my chest, Fists clenched ever so tightly around my Bayard. Sparks and flashes of a distinct purple blur whiz past my moving body. Shiro is behind me, metal clanging with each century he tears through. I'm small, but that doesn't stop me by thinning the herd any less than Shiro.

We work together, moving towards the opening leading back to the Green and Black lions. So close... Barely feet away from the opening in the ship, Shiro flies to the ground. His armor broken from behind, shattered to pieces. An oddly familiar substance spilling from the wound...

_Blood..._

"Agh", Shiro groans trying to push his way to his feet.

I shoot down two more centuries with my Bayard, afterward shifting focus to Shiro. "Here", I offer my hand and small body as a crutch.

"Guys, we need an evac, NOW", my words speaking urgently through the comm line.

"I'm right there", Keith splits the chaos with a rushed comment.

I roll my eyes. "Just breath, you'll be ok", I look pack to a hurting Shiro.

"I never told you-"

"You're going to be ok", I look to the ground, avoiding his pity.

"Listen to me Katie", his voice so somber.

I look into his brown eyes, brows creased in a thin line. "Your dad was always there for me on the way to Kerberos. He had inspired me and treated me like one of his own. He spoke so highly of you, and I believe every word of it", I pinch back the tears threatening to fall. "You will find your family, because you are the most talented person I know."

"Shiro... I-"

"Don't. You will, and I know it", he smiles through the pain.

A rouge blaster bolt flies to a panel of the ship, erupting into sparks. My head swivels back to see more centuries gathering to fire.

"Keith, we are out of time, WHERE ARE YOU?!" spit flies rouge, my plight easily herd.

"Two ticks Pidge, jump on my count", the seal keeping us between saftey and space, opens with a click of a button along my thigh.

"Three, two-" I miss the end of Keith's countdown, a numb pain sending me into the vacuum of space.

Shiro's cry muffled by an odd ringing. Before I can deploy my bayard, I collide with something  _hard_. With the snap of gods fingers, blackness replaces the light.

* * *

_**Shiro's POV** _

I could've held her with me, but the force throws her out of my grip. My blood runs an eerie cold, as her body is thrust against the red lion. My heart drops, when she doesn't ignite her jet pack. Blaster bolts fire past me, my mind returning to the present.

"Keith, get Pidge, I'm on my way", my voice pulls hard as I leap into space.

Every breath I take hurts, but I push towards the red lion. It's an eerie agony, one that I haven't felt in a long time. My heart steadies when I see a frantic Keith carry an un conscience Pidge to safety.

Space is usually quite. just stars and planets occupying the emptiness it really was. Now... Now space was  _loud_. Ion canons drowning out fire from the yellow and blue lions. Small specs of sweat bead down my face. My teeth are clenched tightly, biting back the metallic taste of blood. I can't help but think about what I was going to say...

_Just let me die, I'm not worth it..._

I shake my head silently,  _No, stay strong for your team. They need it._

As my jet pack pushes me closer and closer to safety, Keith's com line cuts in. "Pidge isn't breathing Koran, WHAT DO I DO?!"

My heart drops to my stomach. I let the pain flood my senses away. "Keith, I'm two ticks from your location", I respond.

My vision is clouding over, pain inching ever closer to claiming my conscience. I squint, focused on making it to the red lion.

_Closer, closer... Almost there..._

The impact is hard, pain overstimulating my nerves. I reach for something to hold to,  _anything._ A pipe, a crack... Before I do, Red's mouth open's and Keith emerges, grabbing my torso and pulling me into his lion.

The sudden gravity pulls me into the present. "Agh", I moan. "Is Pidge  _ok?_ "

He doesn't respond, but then I see her. A small pile of green armor barely breathing. I ignore the pain radiating from my back, gathering her in my arms. Her helmet already tossed aside, tears lines staining her bloodied face. A small dried stream of blood from her nose and ears decorate her face.

"You'll be ok just hold on", her breathing is slow- and labored- but it's there.

I can hear the all to familiar sound of the docking bay open.

Blood rushes to my head as I let go of trying to stay awake. Keith's voice fades to silence as I fall into my own dreams.

* * *

 


	3. Dread And Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody noticing the weird writing style??
> 
> Yea, I wrote this BEFORE I figured out how to write with SOME decency xD

**_Keith's POV_ **

Blood boils to the point of no return. I hear a dull thud hit the hull of red. My heart pits right into my stomach.

"Pidge.." panic takes over as I move to get her inside my lion. I can hear Shiro's scratchy voice through my helmet.

"Keith, get Pidge, I'm on my way-" and before he can finish, I'm already ejecting myself into the atmosphere.

Her small figure floats lifelessly, blood smeared across the once green of her armor.

"I've got you", I whisper, mostly a consulate to myself.

The artificial gravity of my lion pulls her small body to the ground. I know little to nothing about injuries, but I can tell this isn't good. Her helmet is easily peeled off by my grip, tossed to an unknown corner of my lion. I float back into the past, remembering a movie my father had taken me to see. It was called  _'Two Shots'_. Most of the movies plot is locked away in my memories, but I can remember some of it... The main character had been shot by this deadly assassin- actually quite intense for a pg-13 movie. His partner had taken him to cover, checked his pulse, and then began CPR.

I know nothing about how to do this, but I was scarcely out of options and she was loosing blood at an alarming rate.

"Koran, Pidge isn't breathing..." The comm line turns to static.

_Shit... Just focus on her, just breathe..._

I was  _far_ from calm, but I move to start CPR. The paladin armor does no justice to my aching muscles. Each time I press on her armor, I fear I might break her fragile bones. It's been longer than it should be, and I'm out of options. I've been at this for much longer than I should've been. Before my mind takes off with its own theories, a small sputter comes from below me.

"Pidge!" I cup my hand behind her head, lifting it to a comfterble angle. "You're going to be OK, hear me-"

She opens her eyes gently. She moves to speak but I stop her. "Just breathe, you're going to be OK..." She probably wasn't going to be ok, but the lie was meant to mostly comfort myself.

"Shiro", she manages to choke out.

I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I swallow them down. "He's on his way, you're going to be just fine", I manage to sputter.

I want to say more, but she erupts into a coughing fit. My hand, unconsciously, moves to take hers. I squeeze, letting her know it's ok. As if reading my mind, she is taken away into her conscience.

"Lance, Hunk", I sputter over the comms, "Take the Green and Black lions bak to the castle, I'm right behind you."

Time slows as I wait impatiently for a response. "We're on it", Lance and Hunk both reply in unison.

A trapped breath escapes my lungs as I close my eyes to gather myself.

"Hang tight Pidge..."

Before I can even stand up, yet another dull exasperated impact shakes my lions hull.

_Shiro..._

Thrusting myself into panic mode yet again, I open reds hatch. I'm scared for what I might find.

 _Is he worse than Pidge? Can he help me? What if he's de-_ _No Keith, stop. Not like this..._

I frantically reach for Shiro, grasping to anything on him, pulling towards my lion. Similar to Pidge, the sudden gravity takes him off guard, but he seems to be conscience enough to take care of himself.

Without re-thinking myself, I rush to the pilots seat. Most of the Galra fighters have been destroyed, but some still remain. Alarms whiz around me as two fighters begin firing on my tail.

"Shiro, Hold onto something!" I yell, moving to pilot my lion away from the battle. When Shiro doesn't respond, my worry shoots through my comfort zone.

I steal a fast look behind me, to find Shiro holding Pidge in his arms.

_Oh no..._

I shake my head, struggling to stay focused. The castle's particle barrier is activated, defending against the outside assault from the surface of Prion. Explosions and red reflect across the visor of my helmet, creating a firework of purple and orange. I'm so close to the safety of the castle... So close.

_Just a few more inches-_

Just like that... All in seconds...

Shiro hits the floor, Pidge falling with him. And before I have anytime to panic, purple blurs the blue of the Altean castle. I was so close. They could be somewhere safe and healing. I could cracking jokes with lance, teasing him for his witty humor. I could be eating Hunk's crafty cuisine. We  _could_ be safe, somewhere other than here. It happened so fast...

All in seconds... We are caught in a tractor beam-

_Shit._

* * *

 


	4. Unconscious

_**Keith's POV** _

It happened so fast... We are moving through titian skies, then we are surrounded by hues of mauve, drowning away the war cried skies of Prion. That small moon would've been part of the Voltron Coalition if we had just made it to safety a few seconds sooner... Now I lay in the hangar of a Galran ship with two injured Paladins and only Red's particle barrier between  _us_ and an army of Galra centuries and soldiers. The blasts shake the hull, hidden dust particles releasing from hidden cracks with each impact. I hold Pidge in my lap, hand pressing firmly over her wounds. Shiro's wound had been cauterized long ago, but he still lay useless and un-conscience. Pidge's blood had soaked through every peice of gauze I had left in my first aid kit. I was down to my hands and a few scraped pieces of left-over gauze.

A rather large explosion took me off guard. With my awkward position, the sudden impact threw all of my weight onto her open wound. "Shit", I mumble under my breath.

As if on cue, a shriek erupts from her small mouth. The pain had woken her up, and I had caused it...

"Hey Pidge, I need you to hold still ok?" My hands never leaving the wound on her torso.

he eyes sqeeze shut, from pain or from fear I am not sure of. "it h-h-urts", words curdled with blood escaping her open mouth.

Things just had to get worse... I was no expert, but from the movies i've seen I'm fairly sure she was bleeding internally. This was something I couldn't fix, but the people outside my lion could. As fast as the thought went through my mind, it wash pushed away immediately.

_I would never surrende-_

Stronger blasts set of alarms wishing the cockpit. The particle barrier was beginning to weaken with each hit, soon we  _would_ be getting help from the Galra. That is presuming they choose to keep us alive. I'm not one to bargain. So I take a quick gamble. It's either capture, or death.

I had never feared death, but it was never my decision to choose for Pidge  _or_ Shiro... I rifle through the first aid kit one last time, Pidge continuing to groan beneath me.

"This is going to pinch just a little bit-" my tone not as reassuring as I wish it was...

A needle collides with her neck and she doesn't even flinch. My finger presses hard along the top, injecting the antithetic into her blood stream. Even if the Galra were to get to them, she would only appear dead... Her breaths turn from jagged to smooth. A breathe escapes my lungs, one I didn't know I was holding. The cold metal flooring of my lion soothed my aching joints. I lift Pidge's weight away from my body and to the ground. The traditional Paladin armor we all wear, collides with the metal, creating a dull thud.

I stand shakily, using the pilots chair as a support. The black gloves I wore were now a shade of crimson red, matching closely to my armor. It would be a style choice, only if it wasn't actual blood. My gag reflex kicks in, making me feel like Hunk on a rollercoaster ride. My hips ache from sitting to long, making it painful to sit down. The soft leather of the Altean furnishings was a warm welcome to the dull situation. I sigh, activating the loud speaker on my lion. Heart beating through my chest, I clear my throat, pushing away the pain from Pidge's and Shiro's wounds.

"This is the Red Palidin of Voltron. I will surrender only under two circumstances", I pause letting my words sink in. "One- my friends receive immediate medical attention and two- you allow the yellow and blue lions to go free."

When I say the demands out loud, they sound stupid. I feel so small right now, trapped in a lion the size of a skyscraper. Ironic... I shift my weight, favoring my left leg, an old habit. My eyebrows knit in a fine line, I can hear movement behind me. Defiantly not Pidge, so I assumed Shiro had woken up.

"Where are we?" I was right, as Shiro moves his way to stand behind me.

I take a moment, trying to remeber  _what_ exactly happened. "We got caught in a tractor beam, we are in an enemy ship", Shiro doesn't respond.

My head swivels back to notice him looking down at the pool of blood and crumpled gauze beneath Pidge. "Can't you just destroy the hangar and pilot us back to the castle", he asks never meeting my gaze.

"They have my lion on some sort of lock. If I could I would've... Shiro, red's particle barrier is beginning to fail-"

"We need a plan", his gaze locked firmly onto Pidge. "Any good ideas?"

"I mean we could just always just fight our way through their forces, but we run the risk of getting captured in the process..." I look back to his gaze, finally meeting my eyes. He seems somber and I wish I was anywhere but  _here..._

"I'm afraid that might be our only option. If we leave her-" he gestures to an unconscious Pidge, "She may be safe from getting captured if it comes to that.."

We both don't want to admit it, but if we have any chance of getting out of here, the only way out was  _through..._

* * *

_**Shiro's POV** _

We had put up quite a fight. We had nearly finished off the Galra forces, until the pain killer Keith had given me, lost their steady effect. I blamed myself, but he refused to accept it.

I've been in this situation before, laid on my knees in front of multiple victorious Galra generals. My hands are bound behind my back, Keith beside me. Cuts and bruises decorate his face and I can't help but feel some sort of relief. Pidge may be unconscious in Red, but she wasn't here.

"-we have captured the black and red paladins, as well as reclaiming the red lion", A stark like Galran speaks firmly to an ever familiar Zarkon across a telecommunication. His yellow eyes gaze down onto Keith and I. Rage bubbles in my stomach, wanting to lunge through the screen and choke the purple from his body. "Well done Commander Faron, bring them to the main fleet for interrogation-"

_Interrogation_ _?! What information do we have that would be worth it to Zarkon, I was expecting to be put into the gladiators ring..._

My heart pinches when I remember Pidge...

_She can take care of herself..._  I still worry. I was unconscious, but I saw the amount of blood stained across Keith's armor and the streaks of it painting Red's cockpit...  _No, you can't think like that. The last we saw Pidge, she was unconscious, but she was stable..._

My thoughts are interjected by the rough hand of a century hauling me to my feet. I'm lead down a series of halls, each movement I try to record in my head. Keith is behind me, blocked by the tall stature of the century, but I can hear his labored breathing over the clangs of each step we took. When we  _finally_ come to a stop, it's in front of a door slowly opening with the centuries touch.

The inside of this room is all to familiar, a small bed in the corner and a small purple light bathing the black walls in mauve. I'm shoved forward, the sudden movement forcing me to collide roughly with the floor. Still in pain from my injury, I groan falling into the floor even more.

"Don't hurt him you big, purple asshol-" But before Keith can finish his insult, the centuries gun collides with the back of his head. His armor makes a dull sound as he hits the floor with a hard thud.

"Keith!" I run to his body, but i'm stopped by the mechanical door shutting before I can reach him.

I can hear light and heavy scuffs as they most likely drag him into the cell next to mine.

_I hope Pidge is doing ok..._

* * *

_**Pidge's POV** _

My head is heavy and the stabbing pain radiating from my side shoots up my spine when I move. It's hard to breathe, so I take shallow jagged breaths, trying to remember what had happened. My head swims in vicious circles grasping for anything to stay awake, but the pain swallows me under before I can assess any of the recent happenings.

 

When I wake again, it's only for a few minutes. The once bright cockpit of the Red lion is dark, nothing but the light coming from outside the lion. My arms shakily support myself against one of the walls and this is when I notice the streaks of blood staining my once white suit. A blood soaked bandage covers my midsection and my heart plummets into the abyss. I look up, trying to steady my jagged breaths. I can feel small streaks of wet tears pillage down my cheeks and I've never been more scared in my entire life.

"Shiro? Keith? Anyone?!" I shout emptily into the void of the lion. I'm to unsure of where we are and i'm in far to much pain to try to stand. So I sit, trying to think.

We were getting information, Shiro got hurt so plans changed. When we were about to head to Keith's lion I must've gotten hit, but that is all I really remember... It's ok though, I only  _want_ to remember that. I'm to scared to face the truth and also my spine had other ideas. I must've hit Red like an asteroid, damaged my spine in the process. I shift, but I can't feel the left side of my body.

I think about the first time I ever had a panic attack and this was something else. My body seized up as tears flowed like an unblocked stream down my cheeks. My breaths turned from calm, to fast, then bordering along jagged. I couldn't control my feelings and I felt  _so_ helpless... Not long after, I pass out from hyperventilating.

 

It must've been days by now, because when I wake up next the once fresh beneath me was now black and dried. I remained sitting up but the searing pain coming from my back was no longer a prominent. I take a quick moment, trying to comprehend reality through the pain.

"Ok Pidge, let's try to figure this out. If we were at the castle I would be in bed, so we must've gotten captured-" I pause letting my narration sink in. "That means the Galra don't know i'm here, which is good but that also means they have Keith and Shiro-" I bang my head against the wall, regretting the action soon after.

I'm stuck in red with no food, no water, and I can barely breathe- let alone stand up and rescue their asses. "Ok, deep breaths Pidge. You can do this... Just think-" I pause remembering a time when her and green had been captured by the Galra**. She had thought piloting her lion out of the hangar would be easy, but green had been impounded by a strange device. "Keith would have never been able to figure that thing out so it's up to me..." I pause pondering my words. "Up to me? I'm bleeding from my midsection, no backup, on an alien ship, and can't walk yet, I would say the odds are  _defiantly_ in my favor", I say with an eye roll.

My head collides, yet again, the the hard metal of red's cockpit. This time I feel tears of frustration pricking at the corners of my eyes. My mind spins from the blood loss and before I can try to keep my eyes open, they close  _yet_ again.

* * *

 


	5. Effort

**Keith's POV**

When I came to, my head pounded with a fond beat. My face lay stuck to the hard metal floor. It takes me a moment to grasp reality. Then it hits me like a wave, washing over the cracks and shores of my mind.

Pidge, she crosses my mind- the sting of her pain still engraved like a tattoo across my memory.

I want to call out to Shiro, but my throat is ached and scratchy, and the only sound that came out was a muffled and husky, "Sh-ir-o".

"Keith!" I can hear the relief in his voice. "Are you ok?"

The question seemed strange- considering the circumstances- but I still find my voice to respond. "Yes, Pidge?"

There is a long silence. After being knocked out, I have no idea what had really "happened". "She is still in red... I'm not sure how she is-" Shiro's voice trails off and the memories flood back- like a knife straight to the heart.

All of that blood... She is only 14 for fucks sake, and we had dragged her into this mess. I wanted to believe- so so much- that she was ok, but a small part of me knew that there wasn't much of a chance.

I wince trying to forget, hauling myself to lean against the hard metal walls. I sigh, Trying to hold myself together. This is no place to break down. Not here. Your team needs you. But do they really? I was at the center of the problem, and there was nothing I could do to help us escape... Pidge is hurt, Shiro is hurt, I am hurt. My head collides with the wall in an odd effort of frustration. There was nothing I could do, and for the first time, in a very long time, I feel completely useless.

"Keith-", I sense as if Shiro can just hear my frustration and defeat without even needing to see it on my face. "You did everything you could've. We just need to wait for Hunk and Lance to get off their asses and come help us", I feel something strange bubble in my chest. Laughter. I'm laughing, thats ironic...

It lasts for a fleeting moment, but that moment just gave me the strength to hope. I no longer felt helpless- I just felt confined.

"She's going to be ok-" Shiro murmurs, his voice closer than before. "We will get her back to the castle and into a cryo pod- safe and perfectly sound."

I clench my teeth thinking about Pidge again, but I know her- and she is not one to just give up. I gather the fabric from my amour in my hand, taking deep hitched breaths. She'll be fine, you'll be ok. Those two idiots will come and get you and maybe you can be thankful that Lance was there and then he would make it into a joke that would probably just make me mad but I would laugh about it later...

Before I can continue to run my mind in circles- the ship jolts. It wasn't a gentle jolt, like one you would get from entering a wormhole. No, this jolt was a massive explosion. The mauve bathed cell I lay in, was bleached red as alarms blare over head. Shiro's shouts are muffled by a deep gruff voice echoing through the halls of the cruiser. "All troops, we are under attack. Initiate code 2187-"

My head swims with possibilities, but before I can try to shout back to Shiro, my cell door slides open.

My heart drops into my stomach, and I can only think I was dreaming...

* * *

**Pidge's POV**

The first thing I remember when I come to- surprisingly- was the small data file I had downloaded on Matt that had gotten all of us in this terrible, terrible situation. My gut turns with regret and remorse and I can't help but feel dead. I would rather be dead than be sitting here, in terrible pain, waiting for someone, anyone, to rescue us. The dried, and slightly crusted, blood dripping from the corner of my mouth dissolved with the moisture of my tongue. The metallic taste stung my mouth, trying to wipe away the rest with my wrist guards.

"What to do, what to do... I'm stuck in Red, pretty sure my leg is broken, and the only way out is through." I roll my eyes sarcastically, "I guess I could be dead-" I instantly regret saying it out loud and my heart stings with a pang of guilt. Matt would be so disappointed in me for just giving up. "No, I won't. I won't give up- not yet..."

I mentally disguise my thoughts, focusing on the task in hand. "Ok, Lance and Hunk are still out there- thats good! Maybe I can radio the castle if I can turn off the locking mechanism on re-", I pause remembering the time I built a makeshift satellite from bits and scraps when I was shot out a wormhole to early. "Maybe if I just modify red's beacon I can transmit to the castle!"

I punch my fist in the air, In victory, immediately regretting doing so. My hand travels down to my bloodied stomach.

Right, that... I'm still stuck bracing myself against a control panel near the pilots seat. "Ok Pidge, just a few feet- can't be that hard..."

Wrong, very wrong. Every movement shot a pain down to my side, but the more pain I felt, the faster I moved. I bit down on my tongue- distracting the pain away from my- most likely- broken leg. The copper taste of blood soaks my saliva, making me want to heave bile. I swallow it down, continuing to shuffle myself along the floor- Almost there...

The soft leather of Red's pilot seat welcomes my touch, as I use every last bit of strength I had to lift myself into the crook of the oversized seat.

I could tell this seat was made for Keith, it was nearly the size of Shiro's seat. My hands barely reach the handles, and my feet scuff lightly against the floor. Even though Red wasn't my lion, I was a paladin of Voltron. Each of the lions had a key role in forming Voltron, and maybe Red would understand that. After all- Green was her right hand...

I feel a sob threatening to reach my mouth, shoulders silently shaking. I had forgotten all about my lion. She and I had a deep connection, but here I was all alone when I needed her most. I left her behind- I had one job.

"All of this is my fault", my cry echos into the empty cockpit and I curl over my head placed in the curve of my palms, the tears running down my face stinging each cut and bruise. "I pushed Shiro, I dragged Keith into this- This is my fault..."

The crimson of blood has faded into a dark black- looking more like spilled poison. Poison, thats what I am... The tears bite at the corners of my eyes- and I can only try to hold back the convulsions that sobbing brought. My shoulders shake wildly- and a scream rips from my throat. "IT'S MY FUCKING FAULT!" My blood pumps at a scary rate through my body, I just wanted to find Matt, grab him by his long, lanky arms and just hug him. He was the one that brought me cake when I was teased at school for being "A nerd". Matt was the person who taught me that stupid- yet so genius- code to talk with dad. Matt was my brother, he was my life line. I was now all alone on this Earth- stuck on an alien ship, bound for who-knows-where, and bleeding from a wound inflicted by an alien weapon.

If I told myself that I would be in that situation 3 months ago, I would've laughed. Maybe even cried by how stupid it sounded. This was so stupid. I was stupid...

Before I can bully myself to death, a small red light pings along Red's dash, blinking rapidly. I wipe the tears from my eyes, using my hands to move closer to the controls I could already barely reach. My hands fiddle with random keys, trying to see where the ping was coming from. The communication screen appears but I can only see a black screen. My heart races, with curiosity and fear, but I still reach out to the keys. My gloved finger hovers over a small switch allowing the other party to hear my side of the com, but I resist.

There a thousand possibilities, and I can only see a few good ones. Taking the risk, My finger pushes the button forward, revealing an all to familiar voice.

"-do you think this thing is on", that high pitched voice I would recognize anywhere.

"I'm not sure Lance, maybe you should leave the tele-communicating to Coran-", yep, defiantly Lance.

Another voice joins the banter, "Well if you have the Red lion on the other end, whoever is in the pit can hear you guys", Coran's quips always made Pidge giggle, but she wanted to jump through the black screen and attack that Altean genius with a huge hug.

"Um... Hellllooooo? Pidgeon? Shiro? KEITH?! Anybody thereeeee?" I'm to wrapped up in the sound of his voice to notice I had re-opened my wound- again.

"Lance..." I remark, the tears continuing to create thin lines down the dried blood along my cheeks.

"Pidge?! OMG PIDGE-" I have never been happier to hear that goofy voice.

Hunk cuts in, relief coating his mellow tone, "Pidge, we were so worried where are Keith and Shiro?!"

I choke on my tears, letting out a gentle sob. "Are you ok dude?" Lance quips, I can hear Hunk smack him on the back of his head- based on his light remark about "don't damage the 'smarts'".

"Pidge-" It's Hunk, "Are you ok, are Keith and Shiro ok?"

I nod solemnly, but then I remember they can't see me. I'm half glad, I bet I look like crap. "They-" I pause trying to hold in a sob. "They got captured, I think. I'm not sure-" I swallow the tears, forcing them somewhere else. "I'm fine", That was a lie. "I'll give you our coordinates, but I'm not sure where they are on the ship. They must've left me behind..."

"Why would they ever leave you behind?!" Lance jumps in, making a clear point. He was right, but I'm not sorry. They had a choice and they chose to escape- without me. For all I knew they could be dead, but I hold the thought, trying to type coordinates into the holo pad. I didn't want to tell them I was hurt, so I skirt around his question.

"I'm not sure where they are, but I know that we haven't gone through a wormhole quite yet. We may still be near the Pripronian system (the system of moons that encircled Prion)", I continue to type the coordinates into the keys, feeling something wet along my leg. My gaze drifts down to see more blood. "Great-" I mumble trying to keep it to myself.

"Great what?! Whats great?" I was so ready to sock Lance in the gut just to get him to shut his mouth for once.

"Nothing, just please hurry-" I send the coordinates to the castle, hearing a small ping in the back of their com.

"We just got it #5!" Coran's exhibition of fake support fails to follow through. I can hear the doubt in his accent, and i'm terrified. "Hunk and Lance are already in their lions, no need to be worried-" his thought trails off, the fake support slowly slipping. "How bad does it really hurt?"

His question comes as a shock, and i'm left with a billion questions but only one explanation. "How could you tell..." I clench my teeth, my head looking to an invisible sky.

"A few months ago I installed vital readers in each of your guy's armor. Yours has gone offline so I only assumed-"

"You can't tell them", I cut him off, referring to Lance and Hunk.

"But #5-"

"You absolutely cannot. If they think i'm hurt, they will come for me first, and that only puts all of us at more risk." The statement came out more as an order, and it felt good to finally have control over some aspect of this odd situation.

So, I look at the small cracks and lines making up the hull plating of Red- imagining a starry night sky. I can hear Matt's faded voice telling me some stupid story about Native American folk culture. I wish, now, that I had listened to him instead of picking out each star along Orion's belt. Maybe if I had, just maybe, I wouldn't be in this situation.

A hasty and hitched breath escapes my lungs, one I had no idea I was holding. I can feel the blood pool beneath me expand with each breath I take. The moisture soaks into my pants and I can feel my armor stick to the leather.

Keith is going to be so pissed I bled all over his lion's cockpit, I muse to myself. I was tempted to giggle, but I internalized it- like I did most things.

Before I can react I feel a wave of numbness wash over me. For the first time, in what could only be days, I couldn't feel my wound. The blood loss was really starting to stir my mind- and I couldn't help but feel some sort of sick and twisted relief. The loss of pain was a bad sign, but I no longer had to endure each and every movement by biting through my tongue.

"Coran, can you patch me into Hunk and Lance's comms? I need to give them a run down-" I'm tempted to stand, with the sudden absence of pain.

"On it, but I will have to break this com line first- if something were to happen I would have no way of-"

"Do it Coran", I felt strong. In one of my weakest states, I felt strong bossing around a 10,000 year old man- which makes no sense- but I grasp to the mental strength anyways.

"Good luck", and before I can respond, the small red dot ceases to blink and the console goes an eerie dark once again.

I sigh, leaning back into the crease of the seat. My heart slows and I can taste something sweet in the back of my throat. It borders along the sour yet pleasing taste of a ripe lemon. I smile remembering a fond memory of a lemonade stand I ran with Matt when we were smaller. The sweet taste soon turns to bile, and i'm not long after heaving small clots of blood onto the floor. Gross.

My heart sinks when I realize something. A particular medical training lesson all cadets go through at the Garrison. This one was particularly boring- like most of them really were- but I caught small bits a pieces of it. "-when you see the patient vomiting blood or bile, suspect internal bleeding. If the patient has already been bleeding externally, these are early signs of your primary organs shutting down."

I was probably going to die, and it was all my fault.

* * *

 


	6. Regrets And Mistakes

_**Lance's POV** _

I push and pull on the handles of my lion. The stress put on my joints, repeating the same movement over and over again, was beginning to show. The tight feeling that ripples through my knees and elbows is evident. Small sweat beads drip and fly from my face, some decorating my helmet's visor. Each breath I take is heaved with each movement as I move towards the coordinates my lion was directed to.

I worry, mostly for Pidge, but some part of me also hold stress for Keith and Shiro. I caught small bits and pieces of the comm bustle back on Prion- none of it sounded good. So I push harder, trying to get blue moving faster. I can hear Hunk's heavy breathing as his lion follows my tail.

"Hunk, you doing ok back there?"

_Yea, I'm sure he is just fine, but asking never killed somebody- that I know of..._

"Yea, just wish we could move a little bit faster! I mean how hard is it to just wormhole straight to the ship?!" He has a good point, but I'm pretty sure Coran was on our tails about why. Something about "it's pointless and strategically makes no sense", but I don't answer Hunk's complaint.

"Just try to keep up, we are nearing their last known position", my heart clenches when I say it.

_What are we walking into? I hope they are ok..._

Before I can mentally ruin myself, a breathy Pidge cuts into our comm line. "Hunk? Lance? It's Pidge-"

"Pidge!" Hunk nearly cuts her off, excitement pitching through the transmition.

I'm also one to hurry to the trigger, shouting her name a little to loud. "PIDGE!"

"I'm ok guys, stop ruining my ears-" I am so relieved to hear her joking around in such dire circumstances. "Listen to me very carefully..."

There is a pause of silence and I can hear tined coughing, and my heart shoots into my throat when it reaches my ears. "Ok... We are listening!" Hunk sounds concerned, but he says nothing about it.

A small scuffing sound sounds through the link before her voice reaches through again, "If we plan to get anywhere near the cell block I need help deactivating the dock on Red-" She lets out a heavy, and frankly forced breath, continuing her banter. "Hunk-"

"At your service!" Hunk replies to Pidge with his classic 'i'm-an-optimist' tone. I can't help but giggle slightly.

"You will sneak into the holding bay and I will feed you instructions on the code part of the deactivation code."

"No problemo", Hunk's classic phrase.

"Lance-" The mention of my name grabs my attention away from my piloting.

"Yes?" I sound flattered, and I half wish I wasn't so upbeat in at such awkward moments...

"You will accompany Hunk and cover his back in case the commanders of the ship find out you are here", she sounds stressed and I can hear a small hitch in her voice.

"Got it! Are you sure you're ok?" The question slips out without thought and I can hear a delibrate sigh.

"For the last time, I'm F-I-N-E. Do I need to say it again?" I sigh, looking back to the charted course along my visor.

_She is Pidge, if she really was hurt she wouldn't tell us..._

Her continued banter cuts off my thought process  _yet_ again. "Once you two have deactivated Red, you need to RUN to the prison block. When I say run Hunk, I mean RUN-"

"I'll do my best", HUnk's voice cracks through her request, sounding less than confident.

"We need Keith to pilot the Red lion-"

"What about you?" This question had legitimate reason to be issued, and It was still only skirted around.

"I'm fine, just get Keith and Shiro out first-"

_Classic Pidge..._

And so it was, the plan was made. We discussed our options and we were ready- but ready for what we knew little to nothing about...

 

Guiding Hunk through the deactivation process took no longer than 5 doboshes, but it felt like an eternity...

"I got it!" Hunk yelled almost to loud for my liking. Thank god the hangar was empty at the moment.

With a click and press of a button, the purple shield surrounding Red collapsed. Her eyes glow an eerie yellow and I can tell she senses her paladins stress. Green was like this when we had rescued Pidge from a simililar situation, but Red wasn't Green. The roar that she let out was to sudden for my liking, and before I can move out of the way, the lion begins to break through the bay docking doors, opening us the the vacuum of space.

_Of course Keith's lion has to be the one to fuck everything up..._

I wasn't expecting Red to just freight Pidge away, but I guess anything is possible these days- Keith even piloted the black lion to save Shiro- but Pidge? In the Red lion? Um, yea, I really doubt that conclusion.

"PIDGE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I knew something so stupid like this would happen, and all I could do was just hold onto a small control panel- Hunk next to me- the pull of space and the fast drag of air making my fingers slowly loose their grip.

"I'M NOT DOING THIS" Pidge sounds scared, and I've never heard her scared before now..

_God. I'm hanging on for dear life and Red is piloting herself. Of course this happens to me- OF ALL THE PEOPLE._

I take a breath, trying to focus my busy mind.

"Hunk-" I look to him through my slightly tinted Visor. "Let go, jetpack to your lion and seal the hole with it's back."

The plan was rather genius- no thanks to Pidge- but I can see Hunk's resistance. "What if I mi-"

"Don't think about that!" I can just hear the fake positivity in my vibrato. "Just go and I'll stay back and try to figure out where the hell Red took Pidge..."

With that, he lets go and before long the pull of space releases and the gravity returns, only to drop me with a harsh  _thud_ to the hard ground.

"That's gonna bruise", I muse aloud, to no one in particular.

My feet move swiftly through the corridors, alarms blaring wildly, avoiding the halls leading to the hangar- where most of the troops were heading. Before long, I come upon something that forces my heart straight into my stomach, like a heavy weight it boils and festers there.  _Blood..._

The smears lead to a cell, and I can hear a dulled away shout- and I move to the first cell I can reach. I'm no Pidge-like genius, but I manage to hack into the panel, opening the door to find someone that I thought I would never find in that cell.

"Keith?!"

* * *

 


	7. Running

**_Keith's POV_ **

No words reach my mouth, and all I can do is stand dumbfounded by what appears before my eyes. There, standing smugly, that classic grin plastered across his face, is Lance. His hip is slightly cocked to the left, his hand steadily resting on the control panel controlling my cell. His face lights up when he see's mine, and he moves in to offer a hand to help me up.

"I can't believe you came", I stutter, strong words disappearing with each movement.

"You have Pidge to thank for that-" those 7 words almost knocked me right back to the ground, my head  _already_ spinning from the sudden blood rush.

"Wha- What?!" I'm completely dumbfounded.

_She's ok? But how is she ok? I mean, is she actually OK-_

"Yea, well also Coran. He found the Red lion- Pidge did all the planing", He shrugs, shoulders meeting his ears, he has that stupid look on his face, but I look past it.

"SO, She is ok?!" He raises an eyebrow, and then it hits me. "Of course, Pidge..."

"What do you mean Keith? What's up with Pidge?" I'm not surprised, but I am worried. Even if she tripped, she wouldn't tell anyone for putting herself at risk of being thought of as weak. The only thing Pidge wanted was to appear as anything  _but_ weak...

_Shit Pidge..._

"Sh-She was hit while escaping with Shiro. I don't know the full extent of her injuries, but last I saw her-"

"Oh my god..." My heart drops, even further down, as the color drains from his face. "She was coughing, muttering something about 'Great'- we need to get out of he-"

A large, dull sound echos and bounces of the metal walls. I threaten to fall back onto the ground, but Lance grabs me before I can hit the deck. One, two, three very, VERY large thuds. My heart pounds when I can hear it is right in front of the place we now stand.

"We need get Shiro and get out of here", My comment pushes Lance away from me and over to Shiro's cell.

His face drops when the cell door opens and I loosely walk to his side. I can see why Lance had that look on his face, because sitting limply below the two of us is a bloodied and battered Shiro. His left eye is turning an interesting purple color, whilst a small dried drop of blood comes from the far corner of his mouth. He groans, trying to stand, but both of us interject him before he can move anymore.

"Hey, whoa- take it easy there", we are soon each at his side. With the last ounce of strength I had, we haul his dead weight up, trying to get anywhere else but where that eerie banging was coming from.

_Thud._

It shakes us, I  _almost_ loose my grip on Shiro as we limp along. None of this was ideal, but we make do, using any grips along the wall to help ourselves along. We've been in this precarious situation before- sorta. When I had first met Lance, he had completely taken me off guard by helping us escape. I didn't really like him, but he had something special to him. I never regret not pushing him away, nor any of them. Not Pidge, nor Hunk, OR Allura and Coran. My heart sinks just thinking about them.

I was always told to 'Be strong', but I constantly doubt myself- thinking only the worst in situations much like this one. The weight of the galaxy rested on Voltron's shoulders, and I was always willing to take it. Whether we like it or not, we are the last chance for the innocent galaxy. Without any one of them, our team would fracture to an un-imaginable extent.

A  _hard-_  what I can only describe as a kick to the side-  _thud_ throws us off balance.

_Thud._

That did it. There was now a sizable hole in the side of the hull plating besides us. I was expecting to see a Galra fighter, maybe even just the vast void of space, but to my surprise there, metallic nose peeking through the hole, is my lion. It becomes more apparent as she sneaks further in, closing us off from the pull of air loss.

"RED!" I shout, and she purrs with a soft kind response. I don't care if it's a gigantic cat robot- yea sounds stupid- I know, I still rush to her- I mean the best I can with Shiro attached to Lance and I at the hip. "Open up, we need to get out of here!"

She responds without a second thought, mouth opening to welcome us to safety. Lance stops us, lifting Shiro's metal arm from his clavical, letting it drop limp to Shiro's side.

"Lance, what are you doing?!" He looks slightly guilty, but I still push with the intention of hasty answers.

"I need to go back to blue, I can't leave him there..." I understand and for a minute I forget about Pidge, about injured Shiro, and about the dangers of leaving Red alone.

"Then I'm coming with you", the comment slips out before I can take it back.

_No going back now..._

"I'm not splitting up. I'll tell Red to take Shiro back to the castle, he won't have to pilot-"

"Keith, I can't ask you to abandon-"

"-I'm not asking Lance", he looks half surprised, half thankful. I offer a kind smile in his direction and turn to Shiro, noticing the approving look across his bruised and battered face. He nods, sparring no words.

It's a thoughtful nod, one that says more than words. It's a 'I'm proud of you' nod. It's a nod that says 'I can make it inside'. Most of all, it's a 'You can do this' nod. My heart clenches and I feel saddened for a moment. I turn, offering a nod that says 'thank you'. It goes farther than I thought and we say a few words before I take off with Lance down the halls.

I had remembered most of the way back to the hanger- and i'm assuming Lance had a rough time even finding his way to us to begin with. We only ran into a few soldiers, all easily taken out by Lance's Bayard, with me covering his back. My head still spins from the battle, but I keep up with him. After a- what Shiro would call- an extensive cardio exercise, I'm holding back gasps for cold air. My head spins, but we finally make it to the hangar.

The hangar where we had gotten our asses handed to us. The hangar where I had failed Shiro and Pidge.

_Shit, Pidge._

I'm always dumbfounded at how much of an after thought she becomes on occasions. In most cases she rests at the forefront of my head- I had known Matt at the Garrison- but for some reason, I was  _just now_  remembering how injured she was. And I was stupid enough to leave another injured person with her. Lance already seems frantic enough, so I huff beneath my breath while we jet pack to the blue lion. I choose not to mention anything- looking forward to the Castle, which was at the ready to destroy the cruiser.

I can hear hunk mutter something over Lance's comm about Pidge, but I know he knows nothing of importance to me. I look down and I'm tempted to curse colorfully, but I hold myself back.

_I can't believe I forgot..._

* * *

**_Shiro's POV_ **

Keith's back is scuffed and roughed up, even his armor breaks away in certain places. Lance jogs ahead of him, Keith right on his heel. I was proud of him, but I chose not to mention Pidge to him. He was so determined to help Lance- those two argue enough- and I made the tough call, the call a leader should make every single time.

So I turn, not dwelling on the thought. I use the wall as a crutch and I move inside the hull, climbing the ramp leading to the pilot's seat.

It washes over me like a wave of lemon, she sour taste burning in my mouth. It smells of sweat with an un-healthy tinge of blood. There are rings and coils of blood, each stops and drags in certain places. Some places are thick, some of the blood still appearing with a crimson hue. I heave breaths, following each track slowly, trying to avoid where it ends. An alarming pool of blood lay arrayed against the hull plating. I feel my heart beggining to race as I can see where it's trail leads.

I move as fast as my injuries allow to look down onto the pilots chair. I feel each and every single drop of blood drain from my face as I look down to see Pidge sitting uncomfortably in the over sized seat. She never wears her glasses when she pilots, but even now she looks unfamiliar. She is an unhealthy pale, sweat drawing lines in the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and a small cut one her forehead- when that got there, I have no idea. The corners of her eyes are still wet from crying- I assume. Bile rises in my throat when I see her stomach, its a dark hue of red, a soaked through bandage doing no favors to the montrous wound.

She stirs slightly, eyes opening slightly. "Sh-Shiro?"

In a heartbeat, i'm gently lifting her and pulling her over me as I sit in the pilots seat. "I'm here. I didn't leave", Her breathing is so shallow she rasps from the back of her lungs.

I can feel Red move and suddenly jolt- and what scares me the most, is she doesn't even flinch like I do. "Find...Matt...Please", each word slips out a scary slow, and my heart clenches into a tight ball.

"I won't have to, because you'll be finding him with us", I believed this to be true, refusing what was very possible at this point. "Please hurry Red-" I mutter under my breath, trying to focus on her.

"Y-y-you have to p-p-promise", she forces out, eyes now wide and locked onto me. "Please", I shake my head in refusal.

"Don't give up on me. C'mon Pidge- just keep your eyes open-"

"Shiro", I look past the blood and tear stains and I see a deep seeded desperation. "Please", I give in, if bringing her some sort of peace would help.

"When you find him- Matt- you have to tell him-" She erupts into a coughing fit, blood spewing from her mouth with each rough convulsion. I prop her up, rubbing her back like I would Matt when he had gotten sick during our mission. With a hefty breath, she stops and before she can finish her eyes slide shut.

That was all I needed to pump every last little remaining piece of energy into my blood. I pick her up- one hand beneath her legs, the other along her shoulders- and she's soon enveloped in my large stature. I can hear the docking bay open, and I can feel the odd change of gravity. I run, not waiting for Red to fully stop. Once i'm on the deck, I'm sprinting as fast as I could toward the medbay.

Thank god Keith was already running to me, his arms out ready to take her. Without a single word he runs with her, turning a corner and disappearing from sight.

I hold back tears, Lance appearing at my side. I want to hug him, but the sudden head rush takes me off guard. Like a kick to the back of the knees, I fall face first, hitting my head on the hard metal floors.

_Katie- Please..._


End file.
